Very Demotivational – The Demotivational Posters Blog via BLAME CANADA!. On the other hand, I am extremely grateful to Canada for Shania Twain who single-handedly made a country music fan outta me…
BLAME CANADA!
Just try not to smile…
Anderson Layman’s Blog via Just try not to smile………….
Piece of my heart
Nothing comes close to Janis — not even Crystal Bowersox… :-D. Anderson Layman’s Blog: You know you got it……………..
Higher Love!!!
Good morning, world! Bring me a higher love!!! Crank it up…
Own Your Day With A Morning Ritual
Curated from FinerMinds:
Morning Rituals are not difficult to define – it’s basically something you do every morning after you wake up, as part of your daily schedule. This alone may sound trivial, but you’d be amazed at how a simple ritual could impact the rest of your day, and ultimately – your life.
What’s awesome about morning rituals is that you’re in control of whatever you choose to incorporate into it. What matters is deciding why you want to add a ritual into your morning and how doing it repeatedly will boost your spirit. See it as the opening credits to your day’s TV show starring you as the main character. Are you a stage owner like X-Factor, quirky but witty like 30 Rock or part of a lively bunch like Modern Family?
Morning Rituals give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and helps to prepare you mentally and physically for the day’s tasks and challenges. It also plays as the more tolerable (and likable) sidekick to your alarm clock, helping you to develop the habit of waking up at a certain time every day and going through an enjoyable routine until you leave your house.
Morning rituals are about you, and, depending on how well you’ve allocated your time for it – are also about indulging in the luxury of not having to rush to work or wherever it is you have to be. Organization is key!
Don’t have a morning ritual yet? To develop your own and stick to it firstly pick an appropriate wake-up time. How long would you need before you have to surrender yourself to reality? Next, pick your objective for your ritual – do you want to use it as a mood lifter, as a mean to improve your health, an opportunity to catch up with or a hobby, or extra quality time with your family?
Test your new ritual for a week or two to make sure if it sits with your personality and your schedule, and if you are able to practice it consistently. Allow time to experiment with what works best. Here are some great ideas we found online for a little inspiration:
1. Welcome the day at sunrise. Even if you don’t have to be up that early, just drag yourself out of bed and watch the sunrise whilst absorbing the stillness around you. Use this opportunity to have your alone time with you and the universe. The first break of light, the slow wakening of traffic, the morning dew – bask in the moment and breathe in this start to a positive day.
2. Start the day healthy. Take advantage of the morning quiet to meditate, which will help you connect with yourself to better prepare your body and mind for the day. Or break into a quick sweat with some yoga or exercise. Morning exercise jumpstarts your metabolism and will instantly energize you, not to mention regulate your appetite so you can make better food choices and not fall to the hands of irregular eating and bad snacking. In fact, exercise can improve brain power and protect against memory loss as you age. And who said you needed a whole hour to meditate or exercise? 15 minutes is all you need!
3. Include your loved ones in the ritual. Snuggle up together with your children and exchange dreams from the night before. Engage in a loving or relaxing chat with your partner (you may need to encourage them to participate but it will be worth it!). Open the door and let your cat or dog in; they are always happy to greet you in the morning! Or even spend 10 minutes mentally planning the day ahead and ensuring that all family members and tasks are accounted for (we recently read Victoria Beckham left her son Brooklyn at home as she drove to his school to drop him off…)
4. Dance the grogginess away. Pick an anthem for yourself, put it on and dance around in your bedroom or anywhere in the house. Even if you don’t dance or sing along, a little background music is sure to put a little bounce or pep in your steps as you prepare for your day.
5. Take breakfast outside. Or by the window. Or wherever you can get a decent view. Sink your feet into the grass as you walk around your garden, sipping on a mug of coffee. Have your cereal on the porch. Walk to the nearest cafe to get a freshly baked pastry or a smoothie. Watch your neighborhood come to life, and you will come to life too ;)
Do you already have a morning ritual? If yes – share it with us! If you don’t have one yet, what do you think yours could be, and would you be willing to start it soon? We’re all ears, and eyes!” via FinerMinds
Five Best Internet Radio Services
I love to listen to Baroque music while I blog [stimulates the brain, other physical benefits, etc.];
“Streaming music sites are a dime-a-dozen, but internet radio services—the kind where you press play, sit back, and enjoy music that you know you’ll love and only interact if you hear something you don’t—are a rarer breed. Sometimes you’re in the mood to just listen to music, not be a DJ. This week we’re going to take a look at five of the best internet radio services, based on your nominations.
For those times when you don’t feel like searching for something to hear or curating a playlist, internet radio services deliver on the promise to press play on a genre or song-based radio station and know you’re going to hear something you like. Sometimes you can interact with the station, other times you can’t. We asked you which internet radio services you thought were the best, you weighed in with dozens of nominations, and now we’re back to look at the top five.” Get more here: Five Best Internet Radio Services.
I usually use Pandora but lately, I’ve been trending toward Spotify because it’s more social and it integrates well with WordPress when I want to share music [although I do feel it’s too high priced!]. Follow the link to get the rundown on the top five — my recommendation? Pandora is the best value…
The acoustic kings
Love Coldplay. Love this music. Seems to me, though, that so many love songs are codependent by their very nature. The sentiment is nice, but can you actually ‘fix’ another person? I’ll just shut up and enjoy the song… :-D
Frank Sinatra, 1965
Retronaut. Get more here: Frank Sinatra, 1965. Love Frank! Here are some of my favorites…
Did You Know You’re a Genius?
How’s this for exciting news?
You might not be a genius right this second but guess what? You have just as much ability as anyone else to become one. Move over Tiger Woods, move over Einstein, move over all the geniuses of the past! It’s time to let your hidden talents shine!
Did you know that genes only play a very small part when it comes to genius ability?
So, it doesn’t matter what genes we inherit from our parents, we still have the ability to improve ourselves to ‘genius’ level – whether it be our intelligence, our sporting ability, our artistic or even musical ability.
Modern science has now revealed that:
- Intelligence is not fixed
- Talents are not innate gifts – but the result of a slow accumulation of skills
- No one is genetically designed into greatness and few are biologically restricted from attaining it
This groundbreaking research means that WE ALL have the ability to improve and become a genius at pretty much any skill of our choosing.
So – if genes don’t matter for much, what does make a difference?
Get more here: Did You Know You’re a Genius?
This blog is a must-follow for music junkies! Steve, I don’t know how long it takes you to put these posts together, but they’re great…
You might call this a transition day in rock music history. For instance, one year to the day after the Rolling Stones released “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” …
… Brian Jones left the Stones, to be replaced by Mick Taylor.
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Claddagh rings
The Claddagh ring (Irish: fáinne Chladaigh) is a traditional Irish ring given as a token of friendship, love, or marriage. The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the city of Galway. The ring was first produced in the 17th century, though elements of the design date to the late Roman period.
The Claddagh’s distinctive design features two hands clasping a heart, and usually surmounted by a crown. The elements of this symbol are often said to correspond to the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown). A “Fenian” Claddagh ring, without a crown, was later designed in Dublin. Claddagh rings, with or without the crown (most commonly with a crown), have come to denote pride in Irish heritage, while continuing to be symbols of love or marriage.
Claddagh rings are commonly used as friendship rings, but are most commonly used as engagement/wedding rings. In Ireland, America and other places, the Claddagh is handed down mother-to-daughter or grandmother-to-granddaughter. The way that a Claddagh ring is worn on the hand is usually intended to convey the wearer’s relationship status:
On the right hand with the point of the heart toward the fingertips, the wearer is single and may be looking for love. (This is most commonly the case when a young woman has first received the ring from a relative, unless she is already engaged).
On the right hand with the point of the heart toward the wrist, the wearer is in a relationship, or their heart has been “captured”.
On the left hand with the point of the heart toward the fingertips, the wearer is engaged.
On the left hand with the point of the heart toward the wrist, the wearer is married.
There are other localised variations in the traditions involving the hand and the finger upon which the Claddagh is worn. Folklore about the ring is relatively recent, not ancient, with “very little native Irish writing about the ring”.
The Claddagh ring belongs to a group of European finger rings called “fede rings”. The name “fede” comes from the Italian phrase mani in fede (“hands [joined] in faith” or “hands [joined] in loyalty”). These rings date from Roman times, when the gesture of clasped hands was a symbol of pledging vows, and they were used as love and marriage rings in medieval and Renaissance Europe.
Fede rings are cast in the form of two clasped hands, symbolizing faith, trust, or “plighted troth”. The Claddagh ring is a variation on the fede ring, while the hands, heart, and crown motif was used in England in the early 18th century.” via Claddagh ring – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
My wife and I have chosen this ring as an intentional symbol of our desire for friendship, love and loyalty above all else…
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Healthy Phones?
Your phone may be able to help you live a healthier lifestyle, according to a new study.
Being able to connect with a personal coach, who receives your nutrition and exercise information and can then support and encourage you, could help people to live healthier lifestyles, according to new research.
And participants in the study made healthier choices — including eating more fruits and vegetables, and partaking in fewer sedentary activities — even 20 weeks later, according to the study, published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.” Get more here: How Your Phone Could Help You Lead A Healthier Lifestyle.
I’ve written before about how Endomondo is changing my life by encouraging me to keep up my fitness routine and keeping track of what I do. Since I started using this app to track my walking and cycling, I have lost 10 pounds and a lot of inches…
Fitness apps I use and recommend?
Gloria
Here’s a young Van Morrison as part of a band called Them with his first hit. h/t Steve Layman…
The reason
I’m not a perfect person
There’s many things I wish I didn’t do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so, I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I’ve found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
I’m sorry that I hurt you
It’s something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That’s why I need you to hear
I’ve found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
I’m not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I’ve found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
I’ve found a reason to show
A side of me you didn’t know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you
Awww…
My new blogging buddy Lexocat gave me a song today — I hope she doesn’t mind if I share it with you…
Actually, I’m quite familiar with this one being the blues fan that I am. I think Clapton did my favorite rendition but BB King covered it well, too. Here are a few others including one by the Jackson 5 with Michael Jackson singing lead…
Play your day!
Play your day like this guy plays his guitar. Click for video…
h/t Steve Anderson
Things were simpler back then…
Anderson Layman’s Blog via Things were simpler back then……….
Music and emotion through time
Michael Tilson Thomas: Music and emotion through time | Video on TED.com.
This TED talk from Michael Tilson Thomas made me think again about something I think about all the time and that is how the availability of any music on demand makes this a great time to live. Sure, clean air and clean water and an abundant supply of food is great, but music? MUSIC? I can listen to anything I want on my Google Nexus S via Spotify anywhere at any time and that never ceases to amaze me and I am grateful for the wide variety of music that is available to me…
In May of 2005, I was blessed to attend a high mass in the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany. The sun streaming through the stained glass, the incense, and the music, ah, the music — an all Mozart mass — I tried hard to imagine what an incredible experience that would have been in the 19th century when music was in short supply but with 5,000 songs on my iPod, it was hard to do!
I have very eclectic tastes in music; thanks to services like Pandora, I continue to get exposed to a wide variety of music. Just last night I found ‘Relaxation Radio’ and ‘Calm Meditation Radio’ channels on Pandora — great background music for massage. :-D
Before I sign off to go pick weeds in the garden, here’s another TED talk from one of my favorite musicians, David Byrne…
Related articles
- Using Music To Evoke Positive Emotions (personspiritresearch.wordpress.com)
- TED Blog | A brief history of classical music: Michael Tilson Thomas … (jaynewberg.wordpress.com)
- A brief history of classical music: Michael Tilson Thomas at TED2012 (ted.com)
Bright, shiny objects! 
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